Baseball

Coronavirus has brought the world to a screeching halt at the moment, and that includes high school sports in the Garden State. JSZ is launching a series to spotlight prominent senior athletes who are waiting and hoping to take the field again this spring. The mission is to tell their stories, and share how they’re trying to stay ready, both physically and mentally. We lead off with St. Augustine baseball standout Kenny Levari. JSZ’s Mike Frankel recently spoke with the Old Dominion University commit: JSZ Spring Senior Spotlight is brought to you in part by Cooper University Health Care.

Jersey Sports Zone is about capturing great video highlights. As we get ready to turn the page towards the 2019-20 school year, we take one more look back at the top games captured by our cameras. Our series continues with wrestling. A game so beautiful it’s played on a diamond. When it comes to baseball New Jersey has produced top tier talent at both the Division I and Pro level. 2019 kept that theme going. Big names, big plays and big at-bats filled your social media for weeks, here are our most viewed games from this past baseball season. 10. Bergen Catholic 10 DePaul 0 In this regular season matchup between Big North Conference rivals Bergen Catholic and DePaul Catholic, University of Michigan commit Jacob Denner pitched a 9 K shutout against the Spartans. 9. Delbarton Kinnelon 3 Morris County Tournament favorites Delbarton continued their hot streak with a close one run victory over Kinnelon. 8. Pope John 5 Delbarton 4 Not many can say they stared down the barrel of a gun and lived to tell the tale, but Nate Pallotta can relate. In the bottom of the seventh Pallotta knocked in a game-winning RBI to defeat No. 1 Delbarton 5-4 in walk-off fashion. 7. Delbarton 9 Red Bank Catholic 7 Jack Leiter and the Green Wave swept through the mid-season Autism Awareness Challenge. In Delbarton’s battle with Red Bank Catholic, Leiter had 10 strikeouts while Shawn Rapp added a 3-run home run. 6. Delbarton 2 Don Bosco 0 Delbarton no strangers to high pressure games. In the Non-Public A North Final, the Green Wave captured their third straight title with a 2-0 shutout against Don Bosco. 5. Bergen Catholic 6 Delbarton 2 Bergen Catholic’s Ryan Cancellieri pitched the game of his life against top ranked Delbarton in the regular season. Thanks to his 11 strikeouts and two earned runs the Crusaders were able to top the then No. 7 team in country 6-2! 4. Delbarton 2 West Morris 1 The Morris County Tournament Final came to a thrilling conclusion as Delbarton ace Jack Leiter propelled the Green with 14 strikeouts to another MCT Title. 3. Delbarton 7 Seton Hall Prep 5 Aside from having Major League caliber talent on the squad, Delbarton’s strength is in its depth chart. In the Non-Public A Semifinal Justin Kim knocked in the game-winning RBI against Seton Hall Prep for a 7-5 win. 2. Delbarton 4 St. Augustine Prep 3 These two are no strangers to each other, the last three Non-Public A State Finals have featured both St. Augustine Prep and Delbarton. Well Vanderbilt University commit Jack Leiter and New York Yankees signee Anthony Volpe ended their final high school games with one more piece of hardware. 1. Delbarton 7 Montville 1 Before the conclusion of the Morris County Tournament, Jack Leiter pushed Delbarton to the MCT Final for their eventual third straight title with 11 strikeouts against Montville.

Burlington County 4 Lehigh Valley 2 – Carpenter Cup Final Burlington County captured the Phillies Carpenter Cup Classic championship with a victory at Citizens Bank Park. It’s the franchise’s fourth title all-time and BurlCo’s first since 2012. Jedier Hernandez of Trenton Catholic broke a 2-2 tie with an RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning. Shawnee’s Joey Moore, Pennsauken’s Robby Barrientos and Lenape’s Cade Hunter also drove in runs in the win. Kyle Kato of Bordentown pitched three scoreless innings, with Rancocas Valley’s Bryce Mangene once again closing things out. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights and reaction from South Philadelphia:

Red Bank Catholic sophomore Shane Panzini had committed to play Division I baseball in the ACC for the Virginia Cavaliers. Watch JSZ’s highlight reel of one of the top underclassmen right-handed pitchers in the Garden State Red Bank Catholic sophomore pitcher Shane Panzini has got two years to go, but no one would be surprised to see his name called in the 2021 MLB Amateur Draft. Panzini was on the mound in Lakewood for a complete game one-hit masterpiece against Manalapan in the Caseys 5-0 win in the Shore Conference championship. On Sunday night, the right-hander committed to play Division I baseball in the ACC for the Virginia Cavaliers. Panzini was 7-2 with a 0.66 ERA striking out 73 batters in 59 innings. With a fastball already clocked in the low 90s, the Caseys will have one of New Jersey’s most electric arms leading their rotation over the next two years. Coach Buddy Hausman has built a program that consistently turns out future college talent and the list of MLB draftees continues to grow. More importantly, the Caseys have fun and the positive vibes of a 23-6 season should carry over to 2020 and beyond.

It’s state championship Saturday with four finals set for Bob DeMeo Field in Hamilton Township. JSZ closes out the baseball season with highlights and post-game reaction from all four title tilts! Emerson 8 Glassboro 5 – Group 1 State Championship Trailing 5-0 in the top of the seventh inning, the Cavos pulled off a improbable comeback to capture the state championship. Mike Carmosino tied the game with a two-run double, before Frankie Savino gave Emerson the lead with a two-out, two-run double. Pete Durocher, Joe Carmosino and Ryan Taub also added RBIs during the Cavos’ rally. Noah Putney went 3-4 with an RBI for the Bulldogs in the loss. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the thrilling highlights and reaction: Pascack Hills 2 Point Pleasant Boro 0 – Group 2 State Championship Ryan Ramsey threw a one-hitter with nine strikeouts and Mike Rodriguez produced all the offense with a two run single in the bottom of the 6th inning to give the Cowboys a second straight state championship. Ramsey gave up a single to the first batter of the game and only allowed a fourth inning walk after that. Point Boro starter Nick Guzzi matched goose eggs with Ramsey through five innings. Ramsey was selected in the 36th round of the MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians and is committed to the University of Maryland. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights: Wall 10 West Morris 2 – Group 3 State Championship The Crimson Knights erupted for 14 hits highlighted by six runs in the first two innings and Trey Dombroski closed out his high school career with another complete game gem to give Wall its first state championship since 2004. Dombroski needed just 81 pitches on a complete game that saw both runs come unearned. The lefty heading to Monmouth had eight strikeouts and no walks. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights and post-game reaction from the Shore Conference’s lone state champ: Ridgewood 2 Eastern 1 – Group 4 State Championship Ridgewood’s offense has been overpowering all season long, but when the bats didn’t come to life, the Maroons relied on a championship-level pitching performance to secure the first state title in school history. Quinnipiac commit Kevin Seitter threw 5.2 innings with 10 strikeouts to lead the Maroons to the best season in school history. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights and post-game reaction: Sponsor Shoutout! Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Eastern athletics is brought to you by Cooper University Health Care.

The first week of June was a big one for a handful of high school players in the Garden State. Stay tuned with JSZ over the next day as we break down all of New Jersey’s selections in the 2019 MLB Draft. Anthony Volpe, Delbarton, SS — New York Yankees (Round 1 | 30th overall) Volpe’s selection by his hometown team made waves across the tri-state area on Monday night. The Delbarton star shortstop was selected in the first round the Bronx Bombers after hitting .500 with seven home runs and 33 RBI with one more game to go. His signing bonus would be $2.37 million, according to MLB.com Round 1 | Pick 30: The New York Yankees select SS Anthony Volpe out of Delbarton School (NJ). #MLBDraft pic.twitter.com/cF2mdD9m0X— NYYPlayerDev (@NYYPlayerDev) June 4, 2019 Watch JSZ’s highlight reel of Anthony Volpe: Jack Leiter, Delbarton, RHP — New York Yankees (Round 20 | 615th overall) There’s simply no argument about it — Jack Leiter was one of the most prized arms available in the 2019 MLB Draft. So far, Leiter’s posted an 8-1 record with a 0.54 ERA across 52.1 innings pitched. He collected 88 strikeouts, 19 walks and surrendered only 23 hits and allowed only four earned runs. It just so happens that instead of heading right to the pro’s, Leiter seems dead-set on honoring his full-ride college commitment to Vanderbilt University, according to MLB Network insider Jon Heyman and various other media reports: RHP Jack Leiter, from The Delbarton School in NJ, hasn’t been picked in draft because his father Al informed teams he was going to honor his Vanderbilt commitment. Said one scout: “Kid’s a stud … would have gone top 10 picks easy.”— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) June 4, 2019 Jack Leiter, is, of course, the son of two-time MLB all-star Al Leiter. Al Leiter stepped away from the broadcast booth at the YES Network to experience his son’s final high school season. Al was a constant figure behind home plate all season long charting pitches. JSZ covered Jack Leiter’s high-profile senior season extensively. Here’s a breakdown for each of the outings JSZ was on hand for during the 2019 year. April 13, 2019 — 5 IP, 10 K’s, 2 ER vs. Red Bank Catholic: Leiter’s second game of the 2019 season was a scout-filled bonanza in North Brunswick for the annual Strike Out Autism challenge. He fanned 20 batters and wowed those in attendance as Delbarton captured a 9-7 win. April 30, 2019 — 2 IP, 5 K’s vs. Pope John: Delbarton traveled out to Sparta for an inter-conference showdown against Pope John to close out the first month of the season. Leiter got the start but threw only 35 pitches in a brief outing. Delbarton eventually lost on a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh inning. May 4, 2019 — 6 IP, 11 K’s, 1 ER vs. Montville : As tournament and post-season play increased, Leiter became a mainstay on the mound. This outing came on his home field in the Morris County Tournament semifinals. The 11 strikeouts against Montville would be his third-highest single game total during the 2019 season. May 11, 2019 — 7 IP, 14 K’s, 1 ER, 1 Hit vs. West Morris: This was, far and away, Leiter’s best outing all season long. He was perfect through 6.2 innings before surrendering a questionable fourth ball on a 3-1 count. Leiter would then allow an RBI double right after, but righted the ship and led Delbarton to its sixth Morris County Tournament championship in school history. May 24, 2019 — 5 IP, 7 K’s, 3 Hits vs. Oratory Prep: Leiter got the call again early in the state sectional playoff tournament and pitched five innings of stress-free baseball, helping the Green Wave advance into the next round. May 31, 2019 — 6.2 IP, 8 K’s, 3 Hits vs. Don Bosco Prep: With the season on the line, Jack Leiter was nearly flawless as he led the charge to the Green Wave’s 2-0 win over Don Bosco Prep to capture the Non-Public A North sectional title. Leiter hit his in-game pitch limit of 113 with one out to go in the seventh inning but did more than enough work to help seal the win. Breyln Jones, Rutherford SS — Los Angeles Dodgers (Round 29 | 881st overall) Breyln Jones was a dynamic playmaker for the Rutherford Bulldogs over the 2019 season. He was the team’s leadoff hitter and also split time between shortstop and as a starting pitcher. Jones finished the 2019 campaign with a .403 batting average, 27 hits, 29 runs, eight RBI and 19 stolen bases. On the mound, he commanded a 5-1 record with a 0.25 ERA through 28.1 innings with 48 strikeouts, 14 walks but surrendered only eight hits and one earned run. Vincent Bianchi, Red Bank Catholic RHP — Los Angeles Angels (Round 34 | 1,051 overall) Vin Bianchi had just won the Shore Conference Tournament title with his friends in what would be his last high school game. Then it got even better — Bianchi immediately found out he was selected by the Los Angeles Angels. Bianchi was one of the Shore Conference’s top arms all season long as he led the Caseys in innings pitched (38.2), strikeouts (41) and wins (five) in his senior season. Bianchi is committed to Saint John’s University and is leaning towards college baseball. Cade Hunter, Lenape C — Colorado Rockies (Round 35 | 1,059 overall) The Virginia Tech commit was the first South Jersey player to come off the board this year. Hunter led the Indians to a 12-9 record this season and an appearance in the Group 4 South playoffs. He hit eight home runs and finished with a .463 batting average. Ryan Ramsey, Pascack Hills LHP — Cleveland Indians (Round 36 | 1,090 overall) It would be hard to argue the point that Ryan Ramsey has been the best public school pitcher over the last two seasons in New Jersey high school baseball. In a pair of varsity seasons, Ramsey has a 16-3 record, a 0.53 ERA over 119 innings, 221 strikeouts to only 29 walks while allowing only nine runs. Staggering numbers indeed. Ramsey is committed to the University of Maryland so it’s yet to be seen what his decision will be, but he’ll most likely be on the mound one last time Saturday as Pascack Hills plays for a Group 2 state championship Jayson Hoopes, St. Augustine Prep RHP — Chicago Cubs (Round 36 | 1,092 overall) Jayson Hoopes has been as solid as they come for New Jersey pitchers. The University of Virginia commit pitched to a 6-0 record so far in 2019 with a 0.70 ERA through 32 innings. He recorded 58 strikeouts and surrendered only 19 walks on the season while helping St. Augustine Prep reach a 24-4 record. Hoopes is expected to be on the mound on Thursday night when the Hermits face Delbarton in the Non-Public A final.

Sectional champions were crowned on diamonds all over the state on Friday. Jersey Sports Zone has coverage of the Non-Public A North final between Don Bosco and Delbarton, as well as coverage of the Non-Public B South final between Trenton Catholic and Gloucester Catholic. (2) Delbarton 2 (8) Don Bosco Prep 0 – Diamond Nation Game of the Week – Non-Public A North Final Delbarton may have had to wait until the bottom of the sixth inning, but the patience was well worth it after Aidan Kane hammered a bases-clearing, two-run triple to give the Green Wave a late lead. Vanderbilt commit Jack Leiter went 6 2/3 innings and struck out eight along the way as Delbarton won its third-straight sectional title. Delbarton will face St. Augustine Prep in the Non-Public A state final next week. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Morristown: Sponsor Shoutout! JSZ was able to be on hand and provide extended highlights and coverage thanks to the great folks at Diamond Nation. (3) Trenton Catholic 0 (1) Gloucester Catholic 11 – Non-Public B South Final The Rams captured their third straight sectional title with a dominating performance over the Iron Mikes in five innings. North Carolina commit Anthony Solometo struck out 11 and allowed just three hits. Tyler Cannon, Luke Lesch, Iverson Hernandez, Lillo Paxia and Justin Costanzo all drove in two runs apiece in the victory. JSZ’s Mike Frankel has the highlights, as No. 19 Gloucester Catholic advances to face St. Mary (Rutherford) in the Non-Public B state final: Coverage of Gloucester Catholic is brought to you by NJM Insurance. Coverage of Trenton Catholic is sponsored by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates.

What a day from the baseball diamond! We’ve got everything from walk-offs, to dominating performances, to nail-biting finishes. Stay tuned throughout the night for JSZ’s coverage of the baseball state playoffs. (2) Jackson Liberty 5 (10) Allentown 4 – Central Group 3 Quarterfinals They may have been 24 hours apart, but David Melfi belted two Uber-meaningful playoff home runs for Jackson Liberty. Melfi was first to bat in the bottom of the seventh inning with the Lions and Redbirds knotted at 4-4 and hammered a moonshot walk-off home run to secure the win. This game began Thursday, was suspended after a torrential downpour, and picked back up again in the bottom of the second inning Friday afternoon. Jackson Liberty will play 11-seed Northern Burlington on May 28. JSZ’s Jay Cook has the highlights from Jackson: Sponsor Shoutout! Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of all Allentown athletics is proudly brought to you by Princeton Orthopaedic Associates. (2) Delbarton 9 (7) Oratory 1 – North Non-Public A Quarterfinals Anthony Volpe blasted a grand slam to right field to highlight a six-run second inning and Kyle Vinco went 3-3 with a single, double, triple and two RBI’s to give the Green Wave a spot in the Non-Public “A” North Semifinals and a matchup with Seton Hall Prep. Jack Leiter pitched five innings giving up one unearned run, scattering three hits and striking out seven with no walks. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Morristown: (6) Old Bridge 2 (3) Middletown South 1 – Central Group 4 Quarterfinals The Knights scored two runs in the top of the first inning on Thursday and advanced to the CJ Group 4 semifinals without scoring a run on Friday. The game resumed in the top of the 3rd inning following the rainout a day earlier. Sophomore Jason Gilman pitched five strong innings giving up just one run and Matt Baker came on in relief to pitch two shutout innings to get the save. There were a lot of tense moments throughout this great state playoff game. JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the highlights from Middletown: Monmouth Building Center was the reason we brought you exciting Middletown South coverage all year long